Jury Theorems

Franz Dietrich and Kai Spiekermann ()
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Kai Spiekermann: LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science

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Abstract: We give a review and critique of jury theorems from a social-epistemology perspective, covering Condorcet's (1785) classic theorem and several later refinements and departures. We assess the plausibility of the conclusions and premises featuring in jury theorems and evaluate the potential of such theorems to serve as formal arguments for the ‘wisdom of crowds'. In particular, we argue (i) that there is a fundamental tension between voters' independence and voters' competence, hence between the two premises of most jury theorems; (ii) that the (asymptotic) conclusion that ‘huge groups are infallible', reached by many jury theorems, is an artifact of unjustified premises; and (iii) that the (non-asymptotic) conclusion that ‘larger groups are more reliable', also reached by many jury theorems, is not an artifact and should be regarded as the more adequate formal rendition of the ‘wisdom of crowds'.

Date: 2019-08
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Published in Miranda Fricker; Peter J. Graham; David Henderson; Nikolaj J.L.L. Pedersen. The Routledge Handbook of Social Epistemology, Routledge Handbooks Online, 2019, Routledge Handbook in Philosophy, 9781138858510. ⟨10.4324/9781315717937-38⟩

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Related works:
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2022)
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2022)
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2022)
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2019)
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2019)
Working Paper: Jury Theorems (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01970979

DOI: 10.4324/9781315717937-38

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